How could we have let Sara down so badly?

Yet another way to have a go at the understaffed, stressed, people working in education, SSD, and to some extent police.

I think the press space would be far better used to try and point out just how stressed/underfunded the systems are and how they might be improved, this would better served those they try to help.

There are so many expressions of justifiable angst on this thead. What can we do to resolve the issue? A massive task. I have never been a Social Worker, but I do have some insight into how Education works. Regular inspections by HMIE attempt to maintain standards.
So start with the regulation that no-one be allowed to home school unless they fulfil certain criteria, and that list is composed by HMIE, and covers some of the same issues that are looked at during a school inspection. For example, how suitable is the venue/ room/ table/desk for education purposes? Show evidence of your forward planning, show evidence of the materials you will use, show evidence of your suitability to educate. HMIE do not accept statements that are not backed up by EVIDENCE. And they have the professional standing and capacity to ask searching questions. It should become part of their responsibility and remit to vet applications for home schooling. And then they actually visit the home.
It removes the responsibility from harrassed head teachers and overworked social workers.
Although this suggestion is do-able, and resolves some of the issues, more is needed.
I hand over to those with Social Work and/or Policing and/or Fostering experience to add their valuable suggestions.

Poor Sara. She learned to put a smile on her face and pretend to her teachers that nothing out if the ordinary was happening. Like so many victims and despite her tender age, she became an expert at coping with her trauma. My heart bleeds for all the Sara's just existing with families who torture them.

Allira

Iam64

The comments from some posters that suggest faith or ethnicity issues prevented social workers from taking effective action hold more than a hint of racism.

No, posters are asking if that might have been the case.

The question is one which should not be avoided by the authorities as we have seen in previous cases.

There was avery interesting piece on Woman’s Hour this morning. Anita Rani asked a professional in this field if this was a problem. The woman didn’t miss a beat answering yes, absolutely

There are two issues being discussed here: home-schooling and the responsibility for Sara Sharif’s death.
Home-schooling needs to be closely monitored for all children, not just those believed to be at risk. The idea that any parent can effectively home-school a child is flawed, witness covid. Some children flourish because most of their tutoring is one-to one and they receive all the attention they crave. But many are let down by this system and reach working age with an inadequate knowledge and poor preparation for the outside world.
These children are failed in their preparation for life just as surely as the victims of abuse.

The case of Sara Sharif has provoked national outrage. It is not a political construct by newspapers apparently intent on demonising 'liberal social workers.' Pretending that this is a case which has been stirred up by a newspaper is unjust, as are the allegations that this is an excuse for an attack on understaffed, over-stressed people.
Sara was failed by the Judge and the social workers who deemed her father a suitable person to take parental responsibility, despite their knowledge of his previous violence against women and children. She was failed by her Headteacher, whose duty in safeguarding it was to report suspicions of child abuse, and who failed to question the conclusions of the social services team (another failure) or raise concerns when she was removed from the school, and from potential monitoring.

This is not a political bandwagon. The actions of the experienced professionals involved in Sara’s care are difficult to justify. Unless the whole episode is scrupulously examined, including the cultural influences at work, and the findings are publicised, this tragedy will be repeated again and again.

petra

Allira

Iam64

The comments from some posters that suggest faith or ethnicity issues prevented social workers from taking effective action hold more than a hint of racism.

No, posters are asking if that might have been the case.

The question is one which should not be avoided by the authorities as we have seen in previous cases.

There was avery interesting piece on Woman’s Hour this morning. Anita Rani asked a professional in this field if this was a problem. The woman didn’t miss a beat answering ^yes, absolutely^

Professor Aisha Gill on Women's Hour refered to the systemic failure to respond to the voices of minoritized children.
Is that what you mean?

petra

Allira

Iam64

The comments from some posters that suggest faith or ethnicity issues prevented social workers from taking effective action hold more than a hint of racism.

No, posters are asking if that might have been the case.

The question is one which should not be avoided by the authorities as we have seen in previous cases.

There was avery interesting piece on Woman’s Hour this morning. Anita Rani asked a professional in this field if this was a problem. The woman didn’t miss a beat answering ^yes, absolutely^

Interesting, petra. I'm glad the question was asked and answered on air.

Neither prejudice nor fear of being accused of racism should be allowed to hinder such investigations.

petra

Allira

Iam64

The comments from some posters that suggest faith or ethnicity issues prevented social workers from taking effective action hold more than a hint of racism.

No, posters are asking if that might have been the case.

The question is one which should not be avoided by the authorities as we have seen in previous cases.

There was avery interesting piece on Woman’s Hour this morning. Anita Rani asked a professional in this field if this was a problem. The woman didn’t miss a beat answering ^yes, absolutely^

That wasn't the question which was asked. As Jeanathome has mentioned, it was about whether children from minorities are listened to.

Posters on GN were doing more than asking - they were speculating for no good reason (which doesn't surprise me).

It's not about a fear of being accused of racism. It's about not always listening to minorities - which is racism.

The worrying aspect of this and other cases seems to be that children aren't listened to or even seen in some cases.

Because a house is immaculately tidy downstairs doesn't mean that horrific abuse is not happening upstairs.

growstuff

It's not about a fear of being accused of racism. It's about not always listening to minorities - which is racism.

Thank you growstuff.

Sorry…I typed something and it disappeared!
What I was saying is that as far as I know there are no checks at all on pre-school children who do not attend nursery. It’s ridiculous.

Skydancer

Sorry…I typed something and it disappeared!
What I was saying is that as far as I know there are no checks at all on pre-school children who do not attend nursery. It’s ridiculous.

They used to have health visitors.

Yes, Ilovecheese. I remember the health visitors who I found very helpful.

I’ve just turned on the ITV news and immediately there was a report on two year old Isabella, murdered by her mother’s boyfriend, after a campaign of violence and abuse. The injury that finally killed her was a shattered pelvis! He has been jailed for a minimum of 26 years, and her mother, convicted of causing or allowing her death, for ten years.

It goes on.

Children are still given regular checks at 8 months, 2 years or at least my grandchildren have.
My impression is like every other service, health visitors are over worked.
We can’t afford not to invest in Early Years and safeguarding throughout childhood

She's not the first bless her little heart and sadly she won't be the last. How many are going through it right now and nothing ever changes. This country is a joke but not funny. At least she and all the others are at peace and out of danger. Absolutely heartbreaking

petal53

I’ve just turned on the ITV news and immediately there was a report on two year old Isabella, murdered by her mother’s boyfriend, after a campaign of violence and abuse. The injury that finally killed her was a shattered pelvis! He has been jailed for a minimum of 26 years, and her mother, convicted of causing or allowing her death, for ten years.

It goes on.

I’ve been following this case. Traces of cocaine/cannabis possibly caused by proximity. The mother told police Isabella stopped crying, despite the beatings. This couple pushed the dead Isabella round in her pram for 3 days. CCTV catches them laughing, waving at a bus driver. The boyfriend was arrested at the pub, telling police he’d planned to have a drink before handing himself in.
Photographs of this little girl show her laughing while her face is covered in bruises.
It seems the couple were given accommodation as they were homeless. The mother previously worked in a nursery

Here is the whole interview.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0025vvj

Bring back the death penalty. I never thought I’d say it…BUT..

Yes, I saw that on the news Iam.
The abuse, yet again, was sickening.
And the attitude of the parent and step parent, absolutely sickening.

Cupseamer

She's not the first bless her little heart and sadly she won't be the last. How many are going through it right now and nothing ever changes. This country is a joke but not funny. At least she and all the others are at peace and out of danger. Absolutely heartbreaking

Another mother and her partner jailed today after he beat the toddler daughter and, unbelievably, this vile couple pushed the little one around in her pushchair for days after she'd died.

He got "life" (20 years!) and she got 10 years for allowing the death of a child.

I do think life should mean whole life sentences.
If they do serve shorter sentences, I believe they should be sterilised before they are allowed out so they are unable to bring more children into the world.

Sorry, I see you have linked to this already.

I do despair.

I don't think this country is a joke but I do think our public services, especially the ones that protect the most vulnerable people in our society, have been neglected, under funded and used by private companies for profit. I feel it is easier to blame poorly paid, inadequately supported and over worked professionals than accept that although we care it's not enough to put our hands in our pockets and pay for better services.